Benoit, Elaine

Boese, Nancy

Deamud, Jennifer

Lopucki, Carol

Kaiser, Cathleen

Mavima, Sienna

Smith, Zara

Williams, Carole L.

Technology Consultants

Growth Group Bios

Finance Specialist Team Bios

 

Carol Lopucki

Carol Lopucki is the State Director of the Michigan Network of Small Business and Technology Development Centers, a partner program of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) with 11 regional and 20+ satellite offices statewide. Carol has worked numerous years in the non-profit, education, and government sector.  She has a B.A. in Education from Michigan State University and a M.A. from Central Michigan University. As a Certified Business counselor through Capital University of Columbus, Ohio, Carol has worked in the small business arena with SBA since 1991. This includes four years serving women business owners, five years as a Regional SBDC Director serving West Michigan, and her current sixth year as the State Director of the MI-SBTDC. Carol has assisted in the launch and growth of thousands of small businesses over the course of fifteen years of work with SBA, growing both traditional and technology-based companies.  

Carol serves on the Michigan District Export Council, the Advisory Board of the Michigan Main Street Program, Biotechnology Business Consultants LLC, and the Michigan Certified Development Corporation. She has just completed a ten-year tenure on the Board of Directors of Northview Public Schools in Grand Rapids, and a two year term on the national board of the Association of Small Business Development Centers. She is a graduate of Leadership Grand Rapids and has received numerous local, state and national recognitions in both the nonprofit and for profit sector. Carol has received the ATHENA leadership award, the ASBDC Michigan's Star Performer Award, and was recognized as one of the 50 most influential women in West Michigan.

Designation of capability to serve technology companies, the second in the US to be named so, is by far the greatest achievement as state director. The MI-SBTDC is currently playing a key role in commercialization assistance to Michigan's entrepreneurs.

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Elaine Benoit

Elaine Benoit, Secretary for the MI-SBTDC, is a seasoned MI-SBTDC employee, as she moved to the State Headquarters from the MI-SBTDC regional office and previously served as Lopucki's secretary. Benoit came to Grand Valley State University in 1995, working for the Seidman School of Business, Office of Economic Expansion and transferred to the SBTDC Regional Office in 1999. She is currently responsible for a variety of duties including the coordination of special projects, special events and network correspondence.

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Jennifer Deamud

Jennifer Deamud, MI-SBTDC's Associate State Director, is responsible for creating and developing communication strategies for the state headquarters and the 11 region network.  Her primary responsibilities include assisting with long-range planning and program development and assisting the State Director with all operations of the SBTDC, managing media and event coordination with the governor’s office, and maintaining key statewide relationships with stakeholders, partners, clients and media.

Jennifer is an accomplished communications professional with over 16 years of broad communication, marketing and media relations experience.  She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a MS in Communications and a BA in Advertising and Public Relations, with emphasis on Marketing.

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Nancy Boese

Nancy Boese is the Business Tools Specialist for the MI-SBTDC.   The MI-SBTDC has many advanced tools for existing businesses and Nancy's role is to help the network utilize these tools in the region.  She has assisted many small business owners with assessments, analysis and prioritizing opportunities for growth.

Nancy earned her MBA from Western Michigan University. She has owned her own business in marketing consulting and has worked in various capacities with non-profits.  She has served on the board for Habitat for Humanity; volunteered with Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women (GROW),  has  been a member of the Athena Planning Committee.  In the past she has also been a board member and President of the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs and Athena Board of Directors.  She is currently involved in the  Lakeshore Advantage Advisory Board, National Business Incubator Association, Michigan Business Incubator Association and serves on several committees with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

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Cathleen Kaiser

Cathleen Kaiser has over twenty years of corporate, education, and independent business experience, in a variety of functional areas that include marketing, training, and career counseling.  She has worked with industrial, consumer, service, and educational organizations, implementing strategic marketing projects, market research focus groups, sales training seminars, corporate planning sessions, small business training and counsel, and personal development workshops. Ms. Kaiser holds an MBA in General Business from Grand Valley State University and a BA in Liberal Arts from Central Michigan University. She also has a teaching certificate from Aquinas College. As a Facilitator and Training Manager for the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center, Cathleen utilizes creative, adult-focused, and practical techniques for stimulating learning among new and existing entrepreneurs. top of page

Carole Williams

Carole Williams, MI-SBTDC's Finance Manager, is responsible for financial operations of the State Headquarters and the 11-region network, including budgeting, reporting, funding, and audit oversight, as well as federal and state compliance and reporting. She also serves as the contract administrator and liaison with Grand Valley State University (GVSU) financial and grants management operations. Prior to joining the SBTDC, Carole served as a federal grant manager for Grand Valley State University for 3 years.  She also has seven years of experience teaching accounting at the university level. Finally, she has 10 years of national and international corporate finance experience with IBM, where she also worked in their federal system division with federal contract funding. Carole is a CPA, who earned the MBA from Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA) and the BBA from the University of Michigan - Flint. top of page

Zara Smith

Zara Smith serves as the MI-SBTDC Technology Coordinator. In this position she is responsible for anticipating and meeting the various technological needs of the network; the implementation of key software, and the development of custom tools. Zara's professional background includes experiences ranging from a project manager at a small software and website development agency, to a business planning specialist at a large healthcare system.  Her unique set of skills allows her to work within the complex MI-SBTDC network and be able to relate to our small business clients. In 2001 Zara graduated from the MBA program at Grand Valley State University. While attending the program she was the graduate assistant at the MI-SBTDC, putting her overall time with the network at 6+ years. top of page

Sienna Mavima

Sienna Mavima, MI-SBTDC's Assistant Director, is responsible for data and information management of the SBTDC network. She collects all the data that goes into the network’s financial and narrative reports. She is also responsible for the performance systems that ensure the network is operating effectively and efficiently in consistence with the network’s strategic plan, ASBDC accreditation standards and the SBA cooperative agreement. Mavima has been with the MI-SBTDC for the past ten years. Prior to joining the network, she was in another department of Grand Valley State University where she served as an instructional design consultant. Prior to her tenure with Grand Valley State University, Mavima served as a teaching assistant at Florida State University, where she taught a graduate course in systems approach to change management. Mavima received a Bachelor of Arts in Education, and her professional teacher’s certification from the University of Zimbabwe. She earned her Master's in Instructional System Design from Florida State University. She is passionate about issues of curriculum design and human capital development.

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